Design Corner: "designbinge: Leather and Felt boxcamera by Hard Craft (???)" & 49 more news
Design Corner /////////////////////////////////////////// designbinge: Leather and Felt boxcamera by Hard Craft (???) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 10:20 PM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/L-qUtj5gLqM/67129493632?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email designbinge: Leather and Felt boxcamera by Hard Craft /////////////////////////////////////////// What Were They Thinking? (A Daily Dose of Architecture) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 09:30 PM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/lnD8Ar-fIo4/what-were-they-thinking.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email For a while now the entrance to the Standard East Village on the Bowery has been behind plywood, as the hotel renovated its ground floor to move its lobby into the neighboring townhouse and reconfigure the ground floor. I found myself in the area on Friday afternoon and was shocked to see how they modified the base of the tower designed by Carlos Zapata. Here is the before condition, via Google Street View: And here is the after, via my dumbphone: So instead of keeping or continuing the language of the tower they purchased, the Standard opted to extend the blue storefront they pasted onto the townhouse around the old lobby, where it meets a new brick storefront, both appearing to sit in front of the glass walls from above. Beyond the totally odd juxtaposition of the modern tower and the brick and wood storefronts, the renovation covers up the stair that used to provide access to an elevated terrace on the back of the building. (Is the terrace gone? I'm not sure.) Whatever the intention (or the architect/designer, whoever that is), the hotel seems to be focusing on the eye-level experience of hotel guests and restaurant customers, assuming they'll never look up. /////////////////////////////////////////// On Location: Dassault Systmes? Largest Ever North American 2013 Customer Forum in Las Vegas (SolidSmack.com) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 02:40 PM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/F75axHp8hOQ/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email With 70% more customer presentations than the previous year, you would be hard-pressed to not find something interesting at Dassault Systmes 2013 North America Customer Forum-a sort of showcase of how users and companies are using Dassault Systmes software for various applications. From the impressive keynote speakers who dove into the future of STEM education to the various company presentations highlighting how they use Dassault Systmes 3D Experience Compass to streamline their workflows, the event summed up just how far Dassault Systmes reach is in multiple industries and sectors. For those who couldnt make it out this year, heres some of the highlights. 2013 3DS Customer Forum Perhaps the most memorable parts of the event included the exceptional keynote presentations on both Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. To start things off, noted industrialist Lynn Tilton took the stage to discuss her philosophies-particularly her interest in the future of manufacturing and bringing jobs back to America. With a portfolio of over 70 companies ranging from automotive to cosmetic industries, Lynn is no stranger to manufacturing-based technologies and emphasized how her story of dreaming and making that dream a reality applies to her ability to take distressed businesses and strip them of everything but their DNA and rebuild them with a more sustainable business model-manufacturing processes being one of them. Lynn was followed by Dassault Systmes EVP of Industry, Marketing, and Corporate Communications Monica Menghini to further define what Dassault Systmes 3D Experience Compass represents and how companies are leveraging the platform (more of that coming in a later article), which flowed into customer presentations ranging from Tesla Motors Paul Lomangino discussing how Tesla Motors leverages DS software to quickly bring automobiles to market, Jonathan Mallie of SHoP Architects presenting a pre-fab concept and their design process behind Brooklyns Barclays Center to John Wyzykowski of Pratt & Whitney discussing the ongoing innovations to their classic 50 year-old PT6 airplane engine and Oracle Team USAs Andrew Gaynor discussing sailboat design and their recent Americas cup win. Paul Lomangino of Tesla Motors Jonathan Mallie of SHoP Andrew Gaynor of Oracle Team USA On Wednesday, the theme of the presentations shifted away from big business and onto STEM-based education initiatives, kicking off with Enrique Legaspi of the i.am.angel foundation. Having spent his early professional career as a schoolteacher in a rough Los Angeles neighborhood-one of the worst-performing in academics to be specific-Enrique delivered what was quite possibly the most memorable of all presentations where he discussed how STEM-based education is changing the very school he started at in Boyle Heights. Among other topics relating to STEM that Enrique tackled was going paper-free in the classroom to better prepare students to absorb technology into their everyday lives, as well as focusing on what his vision of the future of education consists of: "The future of education is project-based learning - give them a project to tackleIf it can be done at Boyle Heights, it can be done anywhere." Following Legaspi was Ed Shadle of North American Eagle discussing his role as owner, driver, and project manager of North American Eagle and how he and team member Jessi Combs helped her become the fastest woman on four wheels as well as their efforts towards stimulating STEM education. Following Ed was a presentation from Microsofts Simon Floyd discussing how Microsoft and Dassault Systmes are working together to make Dassault Systmes software easier to use on Surface tablets-a piece of hardware that is being seen more often in classrooms. Enrique Legaspi of i.am.foundation Ed Shadle of North American Eagle Simon Floyd of Microsoft SolidSmack stopped by a couple of booths in the 3D Experience Playground to hear more about some of the featured products: zSpace Interactive Displays: 3DS Catia V6: Altogether, it was a great year for Dassault but next year we would love to see more about how the 3D Experience is enabling smaller businesses as well as more STEM-inspired presentations. To keep in the loop about next years customer forum, head over to the 3DS Customer Forum site. (Some images via Dassault Systmes) Related Posts You Can Now Lay Your Dassault Acronym Anxieties to Rest. Ten Great Quotes for Designers and Makers from Last Weeks LISA 2013 Event in NYC : SolidSmack Sits Down With SolidWorks CEO Bertrand Sicot On Location: The Future of Home Living Smart Home Experience /////////////////////////////////////////// AKITCHEN BY METTE SCHELDE (+) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 01:01 PM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/8ZcHQgjxu6g/akitchen-by-mette-schelde.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email via /////////////////////////////////////////// IGZQUIZA HOUSE (+) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 01:00 PM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/i5CWeuBrThU/iguzquiza-house.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email via /////////////////////////////////////////// SYLVESTRE GLASS ORNAMENT (+) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 12:59 PM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/fqbIhtwaiNc/sylvestre-glass-ornament.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email via /////////////////////////////////////////// Will Noah Get Christians to Theaters? Or Create a Backlash? (Innovation of the Week) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 12:42 PM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/oWdS0kTmZNQ/will-noah-get-christians-to-theaters-or-create-a-backlash?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email The new Darren Aronofsky movie is under attack for imposing an environmentalist message on a Biblical tale /////////////////////////////////////////// U.S. Car Buyers Lever Up to Record Levels (Innovation of the Week) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 12:22 PM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/ACkDCS73l0Y/u-dot-s-dot-car-buyers-lever-up-to-record-levels?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email Auto-loan debt has soared to its highest level in at least a decade /////////////////////////////////////////// XBox Has Kind Words for the New PlayStation (Innovation of the Week) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 12:06 PM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/aLxDskiZB6E/xbox-has-kind-words-for-the-new-playstation?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email The twentysomethings running corporate Twitter accounts have fun talking to one another /////////////////////////////////////////// Efficient Animations with requestAnimationFrame (Vitamin Master Feed) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 12:00 PM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/RlC9ELWtTWg/efficient-animations-with-requestanimationframe?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email If you are using animations in your web apps youll want to make sure that they run smoothly. The easiest way of doing this is to use requestAnimationFrame (sometimes referred to as rAF), a method that makes creating smooth animations effortless. Using the requestAnimationFrame method allows the browser to handle some of the complicated animation tasks for you, such as managing the frame rate. Developers have previously used setTimeout and setInterval to create animations. The problem here is that in order for the animations to be smooth the browser often has to paint frames quicker than the screen can display then (most computer screens have a refresh rate of 60 frames per second or FPS). This results in unnecessary computation. Another problem with using setInterval or setTimeout is that the animations will continue to run even if the page is not visible to the user. Why use requestAnimationFrame? So why is requestAnimationFrame so great? Lets take a look at some of the things that make requestAnimationFrame superior to using setInterval or setTimeout. Browser Optimizations Using requestAnimationFrame gives the browser the ability to optimize your animations to make them smoother and more resource efficient. I wont go into too much detail on exactly how the browser makes these optimizations, just know that it eliminates the possibility of unnecessary draws and can bunch together multiple animations into a single reflow and repaint cycle. Animations Only Run When Visible When using requestAnimationFrame your animations will only run when the tab (or window) is visible to the user. This means less CPU, GPU and memory usage - which brings us on to our final point. Battery Friendly The optimizations mentioned in the previous two points all help to reduce the amount of stuff that a device has to do to create your animations and therefore helps to conserve battery power. This is especially important for mobile devices that typically have a relatively short battery life. Using requestAnimationFrame The requestAnimationFrame method should be passed a callback function that is responsible for drawing a single frame of your animation. In order to create a full animation you will need to make this callback recursive. A high resolution timestamp (DOMHighResTimeStamp) is passed to the callback function. You wont always need to use this but it can come in handy for some animations. The example below shows how to set up a recursive function that uses requestAnimationFrame. // Animate. function animate(highResTimestamp) { requestAnimationFrame(animate); // Animate something... } // Start the animation. requestAnimationFrame(animate); Its worth noting that you only have 16.67ms to render each frame. This isnt a great deal of time so you should be careful about what you decide to execute inside the callback function. If your frame takes longer than 16.67ms to render, the animation may not appear as smooth. The requestAnimationFrame method will return a requestID that can be used for cancelling the scheduled animation frame. var requestID = requestAnimationFrame(animate); Cancelling Animation Frames To cancel a scheduled animation frame you can use the cancelAnimationFrame method. This method should be passed the requestID for the frame you wish to cancel. cancelAnimationFrame(requestID); Youll see how to keep track of the current requestID later. Polyfill Theres a great polyfill for requestAnimationFrame that was developed by Erik Mller of Opera (and later worked on by Paul Irish and Tino Zijdel). You can find the code in this gist. Creating a Simple requestAnimationFrame Demo Now that you understand the theory behind using requestAnimationFrame lets create a simple demo. See the Demo Download the Code View on CodePen Setting up the HTML and CSS Open up your favorite text editor and create a file called index.html. Once youre done, add the following code to the new file. requestAnimationFrame Demo requestAnimationFrame Demo Start Animation Stop Animation Reset In this markup you define a number of buttons that will be used for starting, stopping, and resetting the animation. You also define the canvas where the animation will take place. You may notice that there are two files referenced in elements towards the end of this markup. The raf-polyfill.js file contains the polyfill that we looked at in the previous section. Make sure that you download this file and save it in the same folder as your index.html file. You will also need to copy the style.css file from the code download into your project folder. Setting up the JavaScript Now that you have your HTML and CSS sorted, its time to start writing the JavaScript code that will handle drawing the animation on the canvas. If you havent used the Canvas API before, dont worry, I will explain everything you need to know as we go. Create a new file in your project folder called script.js and add the following code to it. (function() { // Get the buttons. var startBtn = document.getElementById('startBtn'); var stopBtn = document.getElementById('stopBtn'); var resetBtn = document.getElementById('resetBtn'); // The rest of the code goes here... }()); Here you have created three variables and initialized them by fetching the buttons in your markup. Next you need to write some code to set up the canvas. Copy this code into your script.js file. // Canvas var canvas = document.getElementById('stage'); // 2d Drawing Context. var ctx = canvas.getContext('2d'); // Set the fill style for the drawing context. ctx.fillStyle = ''; // A variable to store the requestID. var requestID; // Variables to for the drawing position and object. var posX = 0; var boxWidth = 50; var pixelsPerFrame = 5; // How many pixels the box should move per frame. // Draw the initial box on the canvas. ctx.fillRect(posX, 0, boxWidth, canvas.height); Here you first create a variable called canvas and initialize it by fetching the element in your markup. You then get a 2d drawing context for the canvas. This provides methods for drawing objects on the canvas as well as controlling the styling of those objects. The next line of code sets the fillStyle property on the drawing context to . The requestID variable will be used to keep track of the requestID returned by the requestAnimationFrame method. The posX, boxWidth, and pixelsPerFrame variables are used to set the position the box should be drawn on the canvas; the width of the box; and the number of pixels the box should be moved in each frame. Finally you call the drawing contexts fillRect method, passing in the X and Y coordinates of the location the rectangle should be drawn along with its height and width. Writing the animate Function Next up you need to write the animate function which will be responsible for drawing frames. Copy the following code into your script.js file. // Animate. function animate() { requestID = requestAnimationFrame(animate); // If the box has not reached the end draw on the canvas. // Otherwise stop the animation. if (posX The call to requestAnimateFrame at the top of this function will schedule the next animation frame. This is placed first so that we can get as close to 60FPS as possible when using the setTimeout fallback provided by the polyfill. You then have an if statement that checks to see if the box has reached the right side of the canvas. If the box has not yet reached the end you use the clearRect method to remove the box drawn in the previous frame and then draw the box at its new position using fillRect. If the box has reached the end of the canvas, you call cancelAnimationFrame in order to cancel the frame scheduled at the start of the animate function. Finally, you update the posX variable with the position that the box should be drawn in the next frame. Note: Notice that the parameters passed to clearRect only cover the position of the box in the previous frame. As we only have 16.67ms to finish drawing the frame it is best to do as little work as possible. Clearing the whole canvas (read: the lazy way) would take much longer than clearing just a small section of it. We could have actually optimized this even further. How do you think this could have been achieved? Share your solutions in the comments. Hooking up the Buttons The final task you need to complete to get your demo working is to set up some event listeners for the start, stop, and reset buttons. Add the following code into your script.js file. // Event listener for the start button. startBtn.addEventListener('click', function(e) { e.preventDefault(); // Start the animation. requestID = requestAnimationFrame(animate); }); // Event listener for the stop button. stopBtn.addEventListener('click', function(e) { e.preventDefault(); // Stop the animation; cancelAnimationFrame(requestID); }); // Event listener for the reset button. resetBtn.addEventListener('click', function(e) { e.preventDefault(); // Reset the X position to 0. posX = 0; // Clear the canvas. ctx.clearRect(0, 0, canvas.width, canvas.height); // Draw the initial box on the canvas. ctx.fillRect(posX, 0, boxWidth, canvas.height); }); Here you have set up three event listeners. The first two are for starting and stopping the animation. The final event listener is fired when the reset button is clicked. This will set the posX variable to 0. It also clears the canvas - were not as concerned about performance so its okay to do this the lazy way - and draws the box back at its start position. Your demo app is now complete! Open the index.html file in your browser and click the start button to see the animation. See the Demo Download the Code View on CodePen Browser Support Browser support for requestAnimationFrame is reasonably good. Firefox and Chrome have had support for a while now with Opera and IE adding support more recently. As long as youre including the polyfill mentioned earlier in this post you should be okay to use requestAnimationFrame in your projects today. IE Firefox Chrome Safari Opera 10+ 4.0+ 10.0+ 6.0+ 15.0+ Source: http://caniuse.com/requestanimationframe Summary The requestAnimationFrame method makes it really easy for developers to create smooth JavaScript animations for their websites. By delegating the handling of animation frames to the browser you are able to take advantage of a number of optimizations, all of which result in less resource usage and extended battery life on mobile devices. What do you think about requestAnimationFrame? Share your thoughts in the comments. Useful Links Can I use requestAnimationFrame requestAnimationFrame Polyfill MDN requestAnimationFrame Docs Better performance with requestAnimationFrame Timing control fro script-based animations (W3C) The post Efficient Animations with requestAnimationFrame appeared first on Treehouse Blog. /////////////////////////////////////////// As Concussions Worry Parents, NFL Blitzes Into Happy Meals (Innovation of the Week) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 11:44 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/H545avmmzoU/as-concussions-worry-parents-nfl-blitzes-into-happy-meals?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email /////////////////////////////////////////// teaser video previews the new MINI cooper (Designboom) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 11:30 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/GXBB2IAvlAQ/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email on november 18th, the all new MINI cooper will be unveiled to the world in london on the day that classic mini designer sir alec issigonis would have turned 107. The post teaser video previews the new MINI cooper appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine. /////////////////////////////////////////// FAQ: Why Does Francis Bacon's Art Auction Record Matter? (Innovation of the Week) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 11:04 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/j9c8oh07n7I/faq-why-does-francis-bacons-art-auction-record-matter?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email /////////////////////////////////////////// Reebok ?Workout Plus? Gore-Tex Edition (Format Magazine Urban Art Fashion) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 11:03 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/oKh9mjpTtqw/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email Reebok takes their Workout Plus silhouette and preps it for the cold, wet winter months with this version featuring the technical material Gore-Tex. Along with the water-proof and breathable benefits of Gore-Tex, the Workout Plus athletic silhouette is beefed up with the use of hiking boot-inspired eyelets and thick rope laces. The sole is also beefed-up a bit to provide that needed traction once the snow falls. Overall, its a pretty nice reworking of the Reebok Workout Plus sneaker that provides some actual technical benefits to the wearer. Look out for the Reebok Workout Plus Gore-Tex edition to drop soon at selected Reebok retailers. /////////////////////////////////////////// Shop For Modern Design A New Way With Fresh (Design Milk) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 11:00 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/Phh7sp7zyr8/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email Fresh is my new favorite online shop. Except that its not an online shop! Its a store aggregator that brings together the best modern design stores in the world (over 60 already and adding more!) and puts all their products in one place. FINALLY. Seriously. Can I get a hallelujah? (Also, why did I think of that?!) You can sign up and follow your favorite stores and "favorite" specific products, too. Also, you can see when products are on sale and set price alerts for your favorite items, comparison shop and even get notified when one of your stores adds new products. No more signing up for tons of newsletters, or wading through lots of store emails now you can see the latest products from (only) your favorite stores, almost as soon as theyre listed. Im pretty excited about this and I plan to spend a LOT of time on Fresh to do my personal holiday shopping. Plus, if you dont see your favorite shop, you can suggest that they add it. Bonus. Check it out: Fresh. /////////////////////////////////////////// Must-See Maker Film Explores Master Woodworker Eric Hollenbeck and His ?Making? High School (SolidSmack.com) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 10:38 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/RGPh433yzVk/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email Master woodworker and community leader Eric Hollenbeck presents a rare breed in todays technology-obsessed world. While 3D printers, laser cutters, and CAD software have re-defined what it means to make something, Hollenbecks most-modern tool in his impressive arsenal was built in 1948. In this mesmerizing Maker profile from director Ben Proudfoot of Breakwater Studios, we get to see firsthand how Hollenbeck and his Blue Ox studio in Northern California are not only preserving skills that took 25,000 years to master, but also how those same skills are helping at-risk youth and veterans re-discover themselves through the simple powers of making something. Ultimately, does Hollenbecks Blue Ox School present an ideal STEM curriculum that other schools should be paying attention to? Blue Ox: A Curriculum Model for STEM? As both a kid who fought his way through school and a seasoned veteran with experience on the front lines of combat, 65 year-old Eric Hollenbeck has experienced his fair share of what he likes to refer to as a bent spring: while you may be able to re-form a bent spring, it will never go back to its original state. Despite the dark clouds that Hollenbeck has waded through throughout his life, he has found solace in creating custom wood designs and helping others like him do the same: "I was a student at blue ox for the first 3 years of high school if it was not for Eric and Viv I would not have made it to eureka high school to graduate for my senior year I Am proud to say that I was a student at blue ox community school and it is one off the best places to learn in the world I appreciate you taking your time to honor this man and woman that helped me through the hard times in my life they deserve it more than anybody else I know on this earth thank you." -Sarah Barns, former student at Blue Ox (2006-2009) Working in partnership with the Humboldt Office of Education, Hollenbecks Blue Ox School offers a regular high school curriculum with a full component of hands-on projects and creative learning opportunities ranging from blacksmithing, ceramics, and woodworking to various print projects and hand-weaving. As Eric mentions in the video, the kids might not fit in at their regular schools but when theyre at Blue Ox, "they fit in by Making". Could Blue Ox also be a prelude to the social impact of STE(A)M-based educational models? Lets certainly hope so. Head over to Blue Ox for more info on Eric, the projects hes worked on, and information on the Blue Ox School. Related Posts EngineerVsDesigner Episode 78: Frank Makes The DIY Wood iPad Stand that Screams Style/Prevents Tablet Jabbing Violence Start Saving Now for This New LEGO Mindstorm EV3 Kit Cool Tools of Doom n Stuff: Episode 01 /////////////////////////////////////////// Part Table, Part Planter (Yanko Design) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 10:34 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/WnU68xjFxiE/story01.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email The Treeangle Tables artificial stone base extends through its walnut top, stabilizing the surface and creating a unique visual quality that mimics the form of a forest canopy. Accentuating the organic shape, the top section is hollow, making it the perfect place for a small plant. Its a clean, modern interpretation of the stump base coffee table! Designer: Anna Strupinkskaya - Yanko Design Timeless Designs - Explore wonderful concepts from around the world! Shop CKIE - We are more than just concepts. See what's hot at the CKIE store by Yanko Design! (Part Table, Part Planter was originally posted on Yanko Design) Related posts:Dehumidifier Planter Pyramid Boskke Sky Planter Clear Giveaway CookIsland - Work Table/Dining Table by Muthesius Kunsthochschule /////////////////////////////////////////// In McDonald's Breakfast War With Coffee Chains, a New Front: Supermarket Shelves (Innovation of the Week) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 10:27 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/o4tgY-8qG50/in-mcdonalds-breakfast-war-with-coffee-chains-a-new-front-supermarket-shelves?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email McDonald's is focusing on expanding McCaf coffee sales in restaurants and, starting next year, at grocers /////////////////////////////////////////// Doll Houses Designed for Charity (Design Milk) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 10:00 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/6oteiSRd4eA/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email UK property developers Cathedral Group asked twenty of the top contemporary designers and architects to design and build a dolls house straight out of the 21st Century for an exhibition called, A Dolls House. Each house was required to feature at least one element that makes life a bit easier for a child with a disability. After being on display, the dolls houses were auctioned off in support of KIDS, a UK charity that supports disabled children, young people, and their families. Cathedral Group was inspired by Edwin Lutyens doll house that he designed for The British Empire Exhibition at Wembley in 1922, which used whats considered a traditional childrens toy to showcase the very best of modern British architecture, craftsmanship, art, and interior design. Above: By Allford Hall Monaghan Morris By Adjaye Associates in collaboration with artist Chris Ofili and Base Models By Dexter Moren Associates By Make Architects By Coffey Architects By DRDH Architects in collaboration with Norwegian artist Anne Katrine Dolven By Amodels By FAT Architecture in collaboration with artist Grayson Perry By mae architects in collaboration with MAKLab and Burro Happold By Morag Myerscough & Luke Morgan in collaboration with artists Ishbel Myerscough, Chantal Joffe and poet Lemn Sissay By shedkm in collaboration with artist James Ireland By Zaha Hadid By Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands By dRMM (de Rijke Marsh Morgan Architects) in collaboration with Richard Woods Studio and Grymsdyke Farm By Duggan Morris Architects in collaboration with Unit 22 Modelmakers By Guy Hollaway in collaboration with Hemingway Design By Glenn Howells Architects By HLM Architects in collaboration with JuJu Ross Design/ A&J Hilliard Cabinet Makers By Studio Egret West in collaboration with artist Andrew Logan By James Ramsey of RAAD Studio in collaboration with artist Lara Apponyi The dolls houses are to be exhibited at Bonhams throughout November and were auctioned to the highest bidders on November 11th, 2013. Hat tip to Christine! /////////////////////////////////////////// Phone Cone (swissmiss) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 09:59 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/wa0glVCDqr0/phone-cone.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email (via Joanna) /////////////////////////////////////////// Why Obama Can't Uncancel Insurance Plans (Innovation of the Week) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 09:49 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/iug-8R2hI1k/why-obama-cant-just-uncancel-all-those-insurance-plans?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email Regulators and insurers are cool to the idea, and there may not be enough time to make it work /////////////////////////////////////////// Spirit Airlines Stays Low-Fare, Low-Brow With a Classy Crack Joke (Innovation of the Week) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 09:41 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/-qN5ZxBROlg/spirit-airlines-stays-low-fare-low-brow-with-a-classy-crack-joke?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email The scrappy airline's ad team keeps coming up with cheeky tag lines /////////////////////////////////////////// A Postal Union Chief Sees the Future, and It?s EBay and Amazon (Innovation of the Week) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 09:36 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/9oBCLiWPhAM/the-postal-union-chief-sees-the-future-and-it-is-ebay-and-amazon?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email National Rural Letter Carriers Association President Jeanette Dwyer discusses the importance of saving the USPS /////////////////////////////////////////// Kids? Drawings of Their Grandparents Recreated in Photos (swissmiss) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 09:34 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/jcnRAl2olEo/kids-drawings-of-their-grandparents-recreated-in-photos.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email Yoni Lefevre has created "Grey Power," a project that recreates kids drawings of their grandparents in colorful, sometimes surreal photos. Love this so much. /////////////////////////////////////////// Verbo?s Site-Specific Street Art Interacts with Industrial Structures (Hi-Fructose Magazine) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 09:30 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/Fc58pM0PSC4/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email Though large-scale public murals are in his oeuvre, Verbo's approach to street art can be private and quiet. The Italian artist seeks out abandoned buildings and factories, leaving murals that await discovery. These site-specific works are there for explorers and seekers who wander into these decrepit buildings. While Verbo's style is reminiscent of Wild Style graffiti, it goes beyond the confines of letter forms, deconstructing and rebuilding them into an intricate geometry. His works beautifully interact with the broken-down settings and industrial rubble that surrounds them. Take a look at more of Verbo's work after the jump.More /////////////////////////////////////////// "Drawing has taught me the more you dont know in your mind what youre going to do, the more it..." (Young and Brilliant) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 09:26 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/SfDv6CBA724/67068602425?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email "Drawing has taught me the more you dont know in your mind what youre going to do, the more it comes out in your hand. You learn from looking, and look from making, and make from looking, and its all part of this ongoing process." - Design is Improvisation: A Critique by Jessica Helfand | Jessica Helfand On the Human Touch and Expanding the Field | Peachpit /////////////////////////////////////////// Desktop Catapults and Ballistas Provide New Way for Engineers and Designers to Converse in Office (SolidSmack.com) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 09:26 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/bnC7qd0QEcs/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email As any office prankster worth their salt will tell you, launching objects in a parabolic arc at an unsuspecting co-worker is one of the greatest and most-satisfying ways of communication (assuming that said objects are gummy bears, marshmallows, and the occasional spitball). E&M Labs is offering a new way of stepping up your office warfare game with their new Ballista and Catapult designs that harness the power of the physics-packed Siege Engine (twisted rope) to power a gummy bear or other object across the room with enough force that it just might crack your buddys new HD monitor 8 desks across the room. Because Office Warfare is Fun! Having been designing toys for over two years including the previously-successful Trebuchette and Skallops Kickstarter-launched toys, E&M Labs are increasing their office warfare arsenal with two more weapons that will help make Monday mornings a little more fun. Consisting of clever laser cut designs, the toys are designed and manufactured in-house from baltic birch plywood and a tung oil finish. Since launching the Trebuchette on Kickstarter two and a half years ago, the company has ironed out the kinks in their toy design processes and have grown to to run their own wood supply chain in the Bay area that allows them to process their orders in a timely and effective mannerhows that for a feel-good Kickstarter story? While the majority of their designs are made from baltic birch plywood, the kits also include precision-ground steel axles, steel washers, and high-tension rope to ensure maximum computer monitor and coffee mug-shattering effects. Perhaps future crowdfunding candidates should look to E&M Labs when considering launching their own projects as they has managed to not only raise money well-beyond their goals, but also overcome hurdles that have risen in the often-overlooked fulfillment process with successfully-funded campaigns: "Our very first Kickstarter project, back in 2011, hit a major production problem. Our Trebuchette project had successfully funded in late April, and we expected to deliver in Sept / Oct. In mid September, we began production using an external job shop to do our laser cutting, and their laser caught fire. In a big way. It was down for weeks, with no sign of becoming operational again. We did a calculation and realized that the only way we could deliver on time for Christmas was to run our own laser 247 doing production for six weeks straight. And thats exactly what we did: the three of us took an eight-hour shift each, every day, for the six weeks leading up to Christmas 2011, and we delivered." If shooting gummy bears into the engineering or design department sounds more appealing than sending an email, head over to the Catapult and Ballista Kickstarter page to order one starting at $40 USD. (Images via E&M Labs/Kickstarter) Related Posts How I Got Kickstarted: Interview with Zooka Speaker Bar Design Lead Patrick Triato The Ten Commandments of Kickstarter Wisdom of the Crowd: The Amazing FlipSteady iPad Cover, Best Ever. Oxgut Hose Company: Upcycling Old Firehoses With Heroic Pasts Into Modern Functional Goods /////////////////////////////////////////// malcew references tree houses in modular break out furniture (Designboom) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 09:16 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/SMQOgStsc0s/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email the modular structures are intended to provide a place for contemplation and focus within open plan office environments. The post malcew references tree houses in modular break out furniture appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine. /////////////////////////////////////////// Fairy Ring Cushion (swissmiss) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 09:10 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/F8I-hSdajTg/fairy-ring-cushion.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email We have these IKEA kids stools at home and I love them. I just discovered these Fairy Ring Cushion pillows that are made for them. Adorable. /////////////////////////////////////////// Cyborg Humanism: Wangechi Mutu at Brooklyn Museum (The Rhizome Frontpage RSS) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 09:07 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/7abAqfvEVmc/cyborg-humanism-wangechi-mutu-brooklyn-museum?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email Wangechi Mutu, A'gave you (2008). Mixed media collage on mylar, 93" x 54". The violent and ambiguous encounter depicted in A'gave you (2008) encapsulates the force and intent of Wangechi Mutu's collages, the highlight of her ongoing retrospective at the Brooklyn Museum. A blue, thick-rooted, and out-sized version of the New World monocot bends to a violated female pseudo-cyborg. Her eyes, cheap black speckled pearls, are replicated in the plant's ovary. The kneeling figure's torso, head, and left arm are thrown back in disinterested submission; her right arm is lost to perspective and/or trauma. Gold sparkle and blood explodes from her chest as she births, or pisses, a long, fat strand of bright yellow-orange which forms a new root-system beneath both her and the plant. Mutu's strangely lucid mixed-media mylar pieces contort the sexualization of black women in consumer society into glittering, gorgeous grotesques. The twin pieces 100 Lavish Months of Bushwhack (2004) and Misguided Little Unforgivable Hierarchies (2005) feature female figures hobbled with hippo hands, faces stitched together from pornographic images, golden skin, and exploding motorcycle high-heels. They also depict differing levels of power among multiple exploited figures. The End of Eating Everything (2013), Mutu's first foray into animation, features the head of Santigold gnashing a gyring flock of black birds with bloody chompers. Slowly, the plane Santigold exists on expands to reveal that her face leads a massive she-planetoid, comprising writhing limbs and embedded, useless machinery, powered by her/its own gaseous effluent. The piece is truly disconcerting and accentuates Mutu's often overlooked theme of ecological disaster. Wangechi Mutu, The End of Eating Everything (2013). Mutu's sketchbooks, some of which stretch back as far as her undergrad years at Cooper Union, are also on view; one of the displayed pages reads: "in Your mind you envision Yourself a butterfly But you still find yourself on your knees." Her figures, assembled commodifications only human enough to be complicit in their own subjugation, could be seen as an expansion of this phrase: spiky hope born of spangly misery. Sometimes this is made too obvious. Yo Mama (2003) is a kind of non-portrait of Nigerian politician and human-rights activist Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti vanquishing a serpent. This Mutuization of the political/social mural has little of the impact of her less triumphal pieces. Wangechi Mutu, Yo Mama (2003) Ink, mica flakes, pressure-sensitive synthetic polymer sheeting, cut-and-pasted printed paper, painted paper, and synthetic polymer paint on paper. 59 1/8 x 85 inches In a 2010 interview with Daily Serving, Mutu stated she attempts to use "the aesthetic of rejection, or poverty, or wretchedness as a tool to talk about things that are transcendent or hopeful..." The encounter depicted in A'gave you is both transcendent and non-consensual, and the plant's intentions are inhuman, unknown. The warrened figure can still bring forth the new, strange, and beautiful, but only through further violence against the self. The curatorial text accompanying A'gave you connects Mutu's work to Afrofuturism, "an aesthetic that uses the imaginative strategies of science fiction to envision alternate realities for Africa and people of African descent." When looking at a work like Mutu's A'gave you with this concept in mind, the implication is that the strange and violent birthing process she depicts suggests a new type of life, a radically different and therefore potentially liberated future. But in addition to opening up such readings, thinking about Mutu in relation to Afrofuturism also helps to situate the work in relation to other practitioners. The term "Afrofuturism" was coined by Mark Dery in his 1992 essay "Black to the Future," which asked why so few African-Americans have created SF when they are "in a very real sense, the descendants of alien abductees," whose bodies are all too often impacted by the tech of "branding, forced sterilization, the Tuskegee experiment, or tasers." Dery posed the question, "Can a community whose past has been deliberately rubbed out, and whose energies have subsequently been consumed by the search for legible traces of its history, imagine possible futures?" Dery's 1992 answer was that one had to look outside the fiercely protected boundaries of the SF genre to find examples of this. Within SF proper, Afrofuturism's scope was, until recently, limited to a small number of practitioners. Dery could only name four African-American SF authors, including Octavia E. Butler and Samuel R. Delany, whose 1998 essay "Racism and Science Fiction" enumerates still relevant intra-genre problems. But examples of Afrofuturism can be found in disparate snatches from literature, popular music, and visual art: Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, Romare Bearden's collage work, the "pie-eyed, snaggletoothed robot" in Jean-Michel Basquiat's painting Molasses, and the various output of Jimi Hendrix, George Clinton, Sun Ra, and Herbie Hancock. Over the past two decades, Afrofuturist discourse has expanded, and Ytasha L. Womack, author of this year's primer Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture, has a much broader and deeper field to draw from. Authors such as Nnedi Okorafor and N. K. Jemisin explicitly write SF. Womack places Octavia E. Butler as one of the sides of her "Giza-like pyramid" of Afrofuturism, emphasizing her "central feminine narratives" as integral. DJ Spooky, Erykah Badu, and Grace Jones are amongst the plethora of cited musicians. A self-conscious and passionate fanbase has developed via Listservs, cosplay, and sites such as BlackScienceFiction.com. Womack posits contemporary Afrofuturism as challenging the nature of black art as only "washed in fatalism, southern edicts, or urbanized reality." Instead, Afrofuturism "inverts reality," offering a myriad of wormholes into alternate histories through which futures unbounded by trauma can be realized. Kara Walker, Burning African Village Play Set with Big House and Lynching (2006). Painted laser-cut steel. Just outside the entrance to the retrospective is a small pice by Kara Walker, Burning African Village Play Set with Big House and Lynching (2006). Black steel silhouettes in the style of Victorian paper panoramas assemble a confusion of violence and rape; even the setting, Africa or the antebellum South, is uncertain. Walker's method of heightening historical atrocity creates what Hari Kunzru recently referred to as an "endless carnival of cruelty that seems to be taking place in a sort of cultural Never-Neverland, somewhere between Gone With The Wind and hell." Walker and Mutu both produce ravaged, if dissimilar, figures. The latter's bodies have been invaded and taken over by color and texture, the former's utterly reduced to black shadow; all have been hyper-sexualized, though Walker's slaves have engorged genitals, not motorcycle feet. Walker's statement that "a black subject in the present tense is a container for specific pathologies from the past" shows her intent: not to satirize slavery, but to focus only on the racist theories and caricatures invented to justify it, without offering any exit narrative. Womack mentions Walker only once in Afrofuturism, focusing on the "infamous nature" of her "harshly criticized work." It would be a misrepresentation to say Womack disapproves of Walker's approach, but it is certainly not the optimistic, transformative work which Womack wishes to emphasize. Mutu, who strangely goes without mention in Womack's book, exists somewhere between these two polarities. Her depictions of suffering and domination are subverted by the violent ecstasy of their imagining and her gestures toward alternate, unknown modes of life. Science fiction necessarily speaks to the time of its creation, the author interpreting through distortion. This is exactly what Mutu accomplishes: her grotesques are our present. /////////////////////////////////////////// Buy One, Give One (Vitamin Master Feed) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 09:00 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/QZJz532es40/buy-one-give-one?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email At Treehouse our mission is to make technology education affordable and accessible to everyone on Earth. To that end, weve been working hard to get Treehouse curriculum into schools. Coding has changed our world in amazing ways and will continue to do so. We believe programming is something everyone should have an opportunity to learn, especially during their school years. To that end, weve decided to launch a new program at Treehouse, Buy One, Give One. For every month someone pays for a Treehouse Gold account, well donate a month of Treehouse to a public school student. Were already working several schools and districts, and well be adding more as quickly as we can to meet our commitment. Our hope is that together we can end the days when only overachieving students in schools wealthy enough to have a Computer Science teacher on their faculty have access to programming classes. Every student deserves a chance. Lets make it happen! Buy One, Give One The post Buy One, Give One appeared first on Treehouse Blog. /////////////////////////////////////////// Laguna Glassware by Attico (Design Milk) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 09:00 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/VVxmQyTg-B8/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email Designed by Cristina Celestino, the Laguna glassware collection from Attico is inspired by the lagoon, a coastal basin separated from the sea by a barrier island. Being subject to the tides, it is a constantly changing habitat. The latin etymon "lacuna" (empty space) evokes a place/container that houses a balance both delicate and mutable. So, the Laguna collection comes from the place where lacuna and lagoon meet. Creating a relationship between content and container, boundary and limit, this borosilicate pitcher and glass set are made of overlapping transparent layers of empty space in which colored liquid has been placed. The brightly-colored liquid moves and changes with each movement of the glass, and the three horizontal chromatic strips blur into each other like a Rothko painting. Photos by Mattia Balsamini. /////////////////////////////////////////// The Weekender: Things, music, top articles and funny bits. It's only the bloody Weekender. (It's Nice That) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 09:00 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/mFqN6apemmw/the-weekender-29-56?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email "In the car I just cant wait, to pick you up on our very first date. Is it cool if I hold your hand? Is it wrong if I think its lame to dance? Do you like my stupid hair? Would you guess that I didnt know what to wear? Im too scared of what you think. You make me nervous so I really cant eat." - Blink 182, 2001. Read more Advertise here via BSA /////////////////////////////////////////// The Intricate, Architectural Watercolor Paintings of Los Carpinteros (Hi-Fructose Magazine) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 08:58 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/EJsWzgqHoRw/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email Cuban artist collective Los Carpinteros (The Carpenters, in English) create large-scale watercolor paintings that are true to the group's name. Rendered with architectural precision unusual for their medium, the paintings have a quietly surreal quality. Each work depicts an aggregation of objects - beach umbrellas drowning in a flood, lounge chairs arranged in a grid or, more ambitiously, architectural structures made from Legos - that appears eerie and odd without the sign of a human presence. The collective is comprised of Marco Antonio Castillo Valds, Dagoberto Rodrguez Snchez and Alexandre Jess Arrechea Zambrano. The trio splits time between Havana and Madrid and also has a reportoire of installations and public works. Take a look at their paintings after the jump.More /////////////////////////////////////////// Dots[Connection]: Annual Giveaway! ( la mode [adj: fusion of effects]) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 08:52 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/VH3SDxYhBTs/dotsconnection-annual-giveaway.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email This week on Draw A Dot., there is a special giveaway and I am hoping you will enter it before it's too late! As you know, every year I collaborate with an illustrator on a holiday postcard that is inspired by a particular fashion brand's F/W collection. This year, I have teamed up with Roberto Snchez and before we unveil the image in December, I have decided to set 10 physical postcards aside and give them to my readers. If you miss this chance, you will NEVER receive it again as this has been the tradition for the past 3 years. If you want a piece of Draw A Dot. history, make sure you enter this easy giveaway by Sunday! Below are the 3 cards I have created with 3 illustrators in the past years and if you have a pair a good eyes, you can catch a glimpse of the 2013 Holiday Card. Again, I recommend you enter this giveaway as soon as possible, because I can promise you will regret about it if you miss this chance! /////////////////////////////////////////// Alan Wolfson (Fused Magazine) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 08:42 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/QY4P4bJ2rbs/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email Before Walt Disney moved in to Times Square it was a hotbed of Grindhouse cinemas, peep shows and seedy motels making it 200 times more exciting than the over-sanitised commercial heavy tourist hotspot it is now. So it is up to Alan Wolfsons Miniature Urban Environment sculptures to take us back and capture a glimpse of the darker underbelly of urban landscapes pre-gentrification. His meticulously crafted photo-real replicas of times gone by offer a snapshot of what once was. Work Describing my work to someone who has never seen it can be a bit tricky. I usually have to start by saying; well, its not painting and its not traditional sculpture Although there are aspects of those crafts that go into my work. The work is a hybrid of several different disciplines. For simplicity I refer to them as Miniature Urban Environments. Because they have a narrative component to them, there are also theatrical elements involved. I never include people in the works, but use inanimate objects to tell a story. Things people leave behind (garbage, graffiti, a tip in a restaurant, a door left ajar) help the viewer to imagine what just happened there. The lighting (which is built into the pieces) helps to set a mood for the scene. In many ways, my process is similar to building a set for a movie or stage play - you have the scenery, the props and the lighting. The process Ill think about the piece for a long time, visualizing, problem-solving; by the time I get ready to start something, Ive usually thought about it for months. Ill take photographs and do as much research as I can on the details of the location. Ill make a couple of scribbled thumb-nail sketches, and then draft out the architecture and build a cardboard mock-up. That allows me to check the sight lines and see where the walls are going to go and figure out if everythings going to fit. Ill also determine where Im going to hide lighting and how to make it accessible. The piece has to be as simple as possible to disassemble so you can maintain the lighting, if necessary. Once I get the mock-up the way I want it, Ill start building sections of the piece. Most of what I do is built out of plastic. Sometimes Ill just start tearing the mock-up apart and substitute plastic walls in place of the cardboard ones. Being a voyeur in the scene Writers have said that my work creates a safe way of being a voyeur. Theres something mysterious and intriguing and even attractive about those environments, but I dont know how comfortable most people feel in them in real life. Creating them gives me a window into them but also allows me to maintain control over them; the viewer can have the experience of having been to these places without having to confront the people who inhabit them. Its true that almost every piece Ive ever done, in my mind, is a night scene. Im a night person, and I think theres more potential for an interesting story at night. A woman once asked me why I did these kinds of scenes. I said, "What do you think I should be doing?" She suggested cathedrals. That sent a chill up my spine. I thought, why would I want to do that? I find these environments far more interesting than a lot of others. They may not be pleasant, but theres something about them And I do feel a certain impulse to preserve some of our architectural past. I find it offensive that there is little or no effort whatsoever to do that. So many great old buildings have been bulldozed to make parking lots. Its unforgivable. Inspiration from the environment I seldom replicate an environment exactly as it exists. I might take details from several different locations and incorporate them into one environment. More often than not its a combination of different elements from existing locations along with architecture I make up. Even if Im replicating an existing location I almost always end up changing something in the environment. Not everything in the real world is visually interesting. Times Square Although much of what Times Square used to be was distasteful to most people, it was a genuine representation of the subculture that exists in the city. Instead of making Times Square the tourist mecca it now is, it would have been nice if the politicians put some resources into dealing with some of the social problems instead of just relocating them to other places. When I go to Times Square now, Im reminded of being at an amusement park. Everything seems planned and scripted; nothing can go wrong - everything is wonderful. Its not the real world. NYC Although Ive lived away from New York for several years I am still inspired by the city. I go back there often, and as soon as I get off the plane at Kennedy, I feel as though I never left. Its all very familiar to me. Despite the changes in the architecture and that Times Square has been transformed into a tee-shirt emporium, the city is still an amazing place to be. I love going to the museums and galleries and just walking around the different neighborhoods. I usually return home from NY with ideas for a new project. Despite whatever changes have been made - the thing that will never change is the energy of that city, and I do find that inspiring. Influences There are several artists who have influenced my work. A few that come to mind are: Edward Hopper, Joseph Cornell and Edward Kienholz. Of course Im not a Photorealist Painter but Ive always been inspired by the Photorealist movement. Richard Estes work has inspired me both for this urban subject matter and his attention to detail. Probably the thing that influenced me the most was the fact that my father was an artist. I grew up visiting the art museums in New York, and was always encouraged to continue drawing and building things when I was a kid. /////////////////////////////////////////// China Expected to be Top Market for Industrial Robots by 2016 (Innovation of the Week) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 08:41 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/GG9id769mMw/china-expected-to-be-top-market-for-industrial-robots-by-2016?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email The government of Zhejiang province plans to help fund local factories' automation /////////////////////////////////////////// Coin (swissmiss) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 08:39 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/XXs_geLfiWs/coin.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email Love that the beginning of the Coin product video was filmed at Poketo. Also, cool (1st world problem) product. /////////////////////////////////////////// China Loosens One-Child Policy, Among Other Big Reforms (Innovation of the Week) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 08:38 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/rgRmhJIeVN0/china-plenum-outlines-ambitious-reforms-to-one-child-policy-banking-and-legal-system?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email A look at the Communist Partys just-released document boiling down Chinas major upcoming reforms /////////////////////////////////////////// Valentin van der Meulen?s Erased Portraits (Hi-Fructose Magazine) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 08:20 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/isvidAohlcg/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email Whether in charcoal or oil, Valentin van der Meulen crafts a painstakingly detailed image and then purposely destroys it. The artist often depicts subjects who are in agony. In his "Erased Painting" series, each person dons a strained expression that van der Meulen wipes away in an almost therapeutic fashion. Van der Meulen's works are caught amid an endless cycle of creation and destruction, set somewhere after the latter begins and the former ends. Take a look at some of his work after the jump.More /////////////////////////////////////////// Intelligent Washing (Yanko Design) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 08:03 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/yychSL5efYc/story01.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email Smart Chime is an intelligent washing machine that RF scans the clothing tags to see if the wash cycle is safe for them. Essentially it makes sure you dont end up washing delicates with cottons or color bleeding fabrics with the pastels or whites. Its intelligent enough to intuitively indicate how much more time is left before the cycle is up. Nice concept and with certain refinements I am sure it will take clothes washing to the next level. Designer: Jiae Ohjiae - Yanko Design Timeless Designs - Explore wonderful concepts from around the world! Shop CKIE - We are more than just concepts. See what's hot at the CKIE store by Yanko Design! (Intelligent Washing was originally posted on Yanko Design) Related posts:Intelligent Hose Intelligent Glass Intelligent Wristwatch Gaming /////////////////////////////////////////// Matthew Brandt?s Waterlogged Landscape Photos (Design Milk) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 08:00 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/NAKDAMAEu7w/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email This weeks CMYLK features Colourlovers palettes for a trio of funky landscape photographs by 30-year-old of-the-moment photographer Matthew Brandt. The first two images are from Brandts "Lakes and Reservoirs" series of 2011, for which he soaked photos in water collected from the actual lakes he shot. The third image is from his newest series, "Mystic Falls," which continues the project. His landscapes are inspired by iconic images of the American West. Big Bear Lake CA A1 Mystic Falls K2Y3M3c4 /////////////////////////////////////////// South African Teenage Duo Programs 3D Printing App for Nokia Smartphone (SolidSmack.com) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 07:50 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/DoeV83SEov8/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email These days, most digital tasks can be completed with a current smart phone, but until very recently, 3D printing has not been one of them. However, Gerhard de Clercq and Pieter Scholtz, two fifteen-year-olds from South Africa, have set-out to change that. The student duo recently unveiled an app that they programmed which can accurately feed data to 3D printers via Bluetooth. The app that the team developed is able to slice a 3D model and also offers movement and rotation adjustment options, which the phone can translate to a 3D printer. The app exports data in G-Code and it also receives data back from the printer. It displays live-updates of printer temperature, progress and estimated time remaining, among other things-so it is not just useful, but handy as well! Additionally, the program renders and processes surprisingly fast, especially considering that the Nokia Lumia 920 that the team used as the host is not exactly a powerhouse compared to some of the other smartphones currently available. Scholtz and de Clercq developed their app with the motivation and intent to make 3D printing more accessible in Africa. The way that they plan to do this is by cutting-down on the cost of materials, and minimizing the devices and processes generally required to print solid models-a pretty logical and smart way to approach the challenge. In various media, the two students have mentioned that smartphones are more commonly found in Africa than are capable computer setups, so it is therefore logical to make the best use of the most powerful technology that is commonly-available to a broad audience. The printer that the duo used to showcase their innovation is a modified RepRap that Scholtz and de Clercq assembled and adjusted themselves. If you are unfamiliar with RepRap, it is an open-source community-based project aimed at do-it-yourself 3D printer design and assembly. It is centered-around the idea that you can 3D-print parts with one machine to spawn another. This prospect of auto-regeneration is one of the essential concepts that makes the idea of bringing 3D printing to developing nations so exciting, as it makes the actual process of obtaining 3D printers that much more feasible. In various demonstrations thus far, Scholtz and de Clercq have printed usable protective cases for Nokia Lumia smartphones. In many ways, their choice of subject-matter further emphasizes the prospect that someday devices may be able to fully replicate themselves. Gerhard de Clercq and Pieter Scholtz were awarded gold medals at the 2013 Northern Gauteng Expo for Young Scientists for their achievement-way to go guys! Related Posts Is That a Stick of Gum In Your Pocket (Or Are You Just Happy to See Me)? Trimensional + Thingiverse: The Face of Photos to Come? Overhauling the Cast System: A 3D-printed Panacea for Your Next Busted Bone From Plotting to Trotting: 3D Printing Titanium Racehorse Shoes /////////////////////////////////////////// Il caro prezzo dell?informazione (PATAsign) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 07:47 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/cy6xFqSLHrI/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email In poche righe Luca Sofri spiega lannosissima questione del perch oggi il giornalismo online fa una fatica boia. Quello che successo che i giornali di carta perdono lettori e rilevanza, e quindi sono meno attraenti per la pubblicit; mentre i giornali online competono con un mercato di offerta di contenuti improvvisamente enorme (non solo con altri siti di news, ma con social network, videogiochi, siti i pi diversi, che si trovano improvvisamente tutti nello stesso campionato) e in cui il valore delle inserzioni si quindi enormemente abbassato, confrontato con quello che avevano sui giornali. C da aggiungere che abbastanza inspiegabile perch online (soprattutto in Italia) il valore della testata ha smesso di fare economicamente tanta differenza. Il fatto che una pagina pubblicitaria sul Corriere valesse 10 volte una pagina su "Novella2000, stato per un secolo il motivo per cui il Corriere teneva a essere il Corriere, anche a scapito della tiratura. Avere una certa qualit giornalistica, significava tenere pi bassi i numeri, ma pi alto il nome, e quindi il prezzo. Per BMW essere sul Corriere aveva un ritorno di immagine diverso dalla sua presenza su Novella2000. Cos come avere un prodotto in una vetrina di Montenapoleone diverso che averlo alla Coop. Mentre online, questo criterio si quasi perso. Per linserzionista, ad esempio, uno spazio adv del Post costa costa sostanzialmente (e a seconda degli accordi) quanto pu costargli su Giallo Zafferano, e quindi conviene il secondo, perch genera 10 volte pi visualizzazioni. Si creato uno strano mercato in cui la domanda e lofferta non hanno significative variazione di valore, ma solo di quantit. Ed chiaro che un gioco con queste regole un gioco che penalizza tutti, tende al ribasso, inventa poco, e svilisce sia editori che inserzionisti. Il criterio secondo cui avere il proprio marchio vicino a ilPost molto diverso che avercelo di fianco ai crostini alla polenta, il criterio attraverso il quale quella testata trova nellalta qualit del suo prodotto le ragioni economiche della sua esistenza. Ed essendo il suo prodotto linformazione, tenerla alta, un bene per tutti. ps. su questi argomenti Luca Lani scrive da un po, e ne vale la pena. /////////////////////////////////////////// Seeper ? BBC One Christmas Launch (2:38) (IdN? RSS) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 07:37 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/LTgQbp9D7xs/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email Launch event for the BBC Christmas Campaign, 2012 /////////////////////////////////////////// coin bluetooth payment system combines all cards into one (Designboom) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 07:35 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/bDbZnHCkB6w/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email the device uses a low-energy bluetooth connection and special magnetic stripe to connect all your credit card and debit card information into one place. The post coin bluetooth payment system combines all cards into one appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine. /////////////////////////////////////////// THE WOOLY WOODS: Installation Design by Anna Hrachovec (New York, USA) (IdN? RSS) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 07:35 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/0gcnLjMeNw8/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email Anna Hrachovec is a toy designer and artist living in Brooklyn, New York. With her knitted characters and installations, Anna embraces familiar cultural touchstones from everyday objects to fairy tales and urban myths, and twists them around with playfulness and a few carefully placed stitches. /////////////////////////////////////////// Finally, a Product That Cures iOS 7-Induced Nausea (THATS LIKE WHOA) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 07:33 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/I3vaJ2Sip6g/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email Several iPhone users are reporting that Apples latest operating system is making them sick. Like, actually sick. Apparently, all the zooming, parallax and special effects of iOS 7 are so jarring that users are getting severe cases of nausea. But have no fear, Jimmy Kimmel is here to save the day! The comedian has invented a state-of-the-art product to help end all that tech-induced vertigo. Its called, "Stop Looking at Your F***ing Phone Every 5 Seconds." But be wary before use - side effects include eye contact, facial expressions and other human stuff. /////////////////////////////////////////// Laser Pointer Of A New Kind (Yanko Design) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 07:23 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/UYrNjRrCpZc/story01.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email The Sliding Pointer is the next-gen in laser points. It breaks away from the traditional pointer design and is fashioned as a ring. It has two different kinda points that it beams: a circular ring and straight line. Both of them can be used to make your presentation more profound. Easy to use, one can now focus more on the talk and slides rather than fumble with a puny gadget in the hand! Designer: Min Kyo Lim - Yanko Design Timeless Designs - Explore wonderful concepts from around the world! Shop CKIE - We are more than just concepts. See what's hot at the CKIE store by Yanko Design! (Laser Pointer Of A New Kind was originally posted on Yanko Design) Related posts:Emo, No Not That Kind Growing Pot, No Not That Kind A New Kind of Aluminum Can /////////////////////////////////////////// Friday Smackdown: Fraddle Lop (SolidSmack.com) Posted: 15 Nov 2013 07:05 AM PST http://feedproxy.google.com/&;r/DesignCorner_feed/&;3/lcoOOqFRNd4/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email Round about the field we strolled, a summers afternoon. The containers there were full, all but a few admidst a den of the slothhorn hares. They had determined, not only how to create amazing mechanical devices, but also how to absorb the energy and grow them into these links. Eduardo Pea - Ships by sea and air, futuristic scenes and captivating concept art that is both complex in its lighting, full of motion and ready to be admired. Epic split - Jean Claude Van Damme has had his ups and downs, his share of crappy films, but this epic split redeems them all, kinda. Google BBS - What would Google look like in the 1980s? Bout like this BBS Terminal by masswerk. Even comes with a keyboard via mobile. Estoy - Theres graffiti and then theres graffiti art. Murals, painting and illustration on the streets of Santiago, Chile. The video of one piece. Cottonwood arts - Canvas notebooks, brilliant coldpress notebooks-the finest sketchbooks and more for artists by artists. Constant Width - What are the shapes of constant width and height? Numberphile shows you just what you thought in another of their interesting Maths video. Thanks Mark! Honest slogans - Odd, the connotation we place with brands. If you looked deep in the heart of those brands, these are probably what slogans they would have. 13 awesome drum machines - Joe Mansfield has an obsession with the beat made famous by 1980s hip-hop. This is a preview of the content in his new book Beat Box. Wooden Shjips - Theres little clowning around in the new Back to Land video directed & produced by Benjael Halfmaderholz. Related Posts Friday Smackdown: Blistered Scrub Nubs Friday Smackdown: From Under The Tin Friday Smackdown: Kettle Goiler Friday Smackdown: DooMaGoo
